Device for lifting fruit-jars or similar articles.



PATENTED FEB. 3,1903.

J. K. RBTTIG. DEVICE FOR LIFTING FRUIT JARS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES. I

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES v JNVENTOR.

I I ATTORNEY co. PHOTO-LIT UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN K. RETTIG, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLESHATFIELD, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

DEVICE FOR LIFTING FRUIT-JARS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,956, dated February3, 1903.

Application filed April 5, 1902. Serial No. 101,498.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN K. RETTIG, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devicesfor Lifting Fruit-Jars or Similar Articles; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for lifting jars, cans,or similar receptacles, being more especially intended for liftingfruit-jars out of hot water after the fruit has been cooked within thejars, which are always hot and difficult to handle.

My object is to provide an article of this class which shall be simplein construction, economical in cost, reliable, durable, and efficient inuse; and to these ends the invention consists of the featureshereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understoodby reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated anembodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are detail views showing the device intwo positions. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the device in use on jars ofdifferent sizes.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

I The body portion 5 of my improved device, as shown in the drawings, iscomposed of spring-wire bent into the general form of a rectangle whoselength is considerably greater than its width. This body portion iscomposed of a bottom part 5, two upright parts o and 5, respectively,extending substantially at right angles to the bottom part and parallelwith each other. At the extremities of the parts 5 and 5 bends 5 areformed, and the wire parts 5 are united at the top and twisted together,as shown at 5 after which they are formed into a ring or loop 5 In thepart 5 an eye 5 is formed about midway of its length, into which areloosely fastened, as shown at 6, the extremities of a wire ring 6,

(No model.)

the ends of the ring being passed through the eye 5 and bent over,forming hooks or eyes, whereby the parts are suitably connected. In thisring 6 is also formed an eye 6, which loosely encircles the part 5 ofthe device and is free to move up and down thereon.

In using the device the part 5 is passed down at one side of the jar 7into the hot water and in such a manner that the ring 6 surrounds thejar. The part 5 is then bent outwardly in the middle sufficiently tocause the ring 6 to tip the jar enough to allow the bottom part 5 toslip under the bottom of the jar. This bending of the part 5 is easilyaccomplished by placing one finger in the top loop 5 and pressing thethumb on the twisted neck part 5, while the part 5 rests on the bottomof the receptacle in which the jar is located. As soon as the part 5f isunderneath the jar it is evident that the latter may be lifted at will,since the ring 6 supports the jar between the parts 5 and 5 of thedevice. By reason of the sliding movement of the eye 6 of the ring onthe part 5 the device is adapted for use with jars of several sizes.

\Vhen not in use, the ring 6 may be folded against the part 5, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2, whereby a number of the devices may be packed togetherWithin small compass for shipping purposes. It is also practicable toplace a number of these devices in the same box in which the ordinaryMason fruit-jars are shipped, sending the devices along with the jarsWithout the necessity of using separate packages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A lifting devicefor jars, cans and similar articles, consisting of a body part composedof spring metal, having a single bottom part and two parts projectingupwardly from the extremities of the bottom part and suitably connectedat the top, and a ring movably connected with the body part and adaptedto surround the jar or other similar article, substantially asdescribed.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a lifting device of the classdescribed, comprising a body part composed of wire having a bottom partand two upwardly-projecting parts suitably connected at the top, and aring slidably connected with one side of the body part, and connectedwith the other side to prevent sliding movement, substantially asdescribed.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a device of the classdescribed comprising a body part composed of spring-wire, having twoupwardly-projecting parts bent inwardly at their upper extremities andsuitably connected, one of the upright parts having an eye formedtherein, a ring whose extremities are connected with said eye, the ringbeing also provided with an eye which surrounds the other upright partof the body device, whereby the ring is allowed to slide verticallywithin certain limits on one side of the device, substantially asdescribed.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a device of the classdescribed comprising a body part formed of wire and composed of a singlebottom part and two parts projecting upwardly from the extremities ofthe bottom part bent inwardly at the top and twisted together to form ahandle or stem, and a ring movably connected With the upright parts ofthe body portion, to permit alimited movement, substantially asdescribed.

5. As an improved article of manufacture, a lifting device for jars orsimilar articles, comprising a body part having a bottom and two uprightparts, the latter being bent toward each other at the top and twistedtogether, a loop or ring being formed above the twisted portion, one ofthe upright parts having an eye formed therein, and a ring having an eyesurrounding the other upright part, the extremities of the ring beingconnected with the said eye of the upright part, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN K. RETTIG.

Witnesses:

DENA NnLsoN, A. J. OBRIEN.

